I wanted to like this book. I really did. Unfortunately I found it vey repetitive and I just couldn't connect with it enough to keep my interest. The idea of the book itself was very interesting to me, but it just could not hold my interest.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book by PD Viner. This book will be released on October 13, 2022.

Just finished The Choice by PD Viner. Hooked by the first page. Interesting story about a girl on the run and all going back to one tragedy years ago. Loved that it kept me guessing til the last chapter! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really liked this! It reminded me of The Chain By Adrian McKinty in a way. I really enjoyed this fast paced thriller. I found myself on the edge of my seat to see what was going to happen and how the story would unravel.

A debilitating choice and an amazing book!!!! This is a slow burn that leads to an ultimately well told story. I thought the X position was absolutely needed.

I quite enjoyed reading this book. I liked the quirky style, you do have to take it with a large pinch of salt, but that is okay. It was a busy book, lots going on, and the pace was good. I don't think it will be for everyone, but the fun element sold it for me.

This book felt like it started in the middle of the story. It really wasn’t my favorite spent a good chunk of the beginning kinda confused. Seemed rushed.

⭐⭐⭐
Man there was alot going on in this book.
Very fast paced but too many twists and turns that I wasn't entirely left satisfied.

First te trying this author. Would definitely give it another go

The Choice is an on the run thriller that follows a woman as she tries to figure out the mystery surrounding the death of her husband.
This book kept me very interested as I tried to figure out how the main character would get out of situation after situation. I read it fast as I wanted to know where on earth the story was going!
My issue with the book is the plausibility of so many aspects of the story. I’m all about suspension of disbelief but I feel you can only ask that of the reader so many times. And for this book, it was too many for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hera Books for the advanced reader copy of this book.

A really enjoyable read that was well written and compelling with a fast pace and lots of tension. The atmosphere was creepy and I was gripped all the way through. It was twisty and unpredictable too.

A 'chase' novel where the protagonist; a young woman who has been living under an assumed identity is forced to reconsider events from years ago.
Judging by reviews this one seems to be dividing people and while it is a constantly escalating tale, it didn't, I'm sorry to say, work for me.
Considering it's a tale that covers a lot of ground geographically; from Brighton to Aberdeen, it's a very small world in terms of characters and coincidental encounters/ relationships which just became too convoluted for me by the end of it all.
The dialogue - both internal and external - has proved an issue for some reviewers, and I can understand why some might feel that way: the protagonist and her worldliness seemed to change depending on the circumstance, and there is considerable repetition during some of the action scenes (and a lot of description of food which occasionally seems misplaced or slows the tension of scenes).
Ultimately, not one for me, but I'm sure many will enjoy it. Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for the chance to read.

The plot was OK. I didn't quite enjoyed it as much as I wanted to because the storyline was a bit convulated.

I didn't understand the majority of what's happening. The names of the character kept changing so I found it very difficult to follow the scheme of things.

Although the plot was interesting, some of the events and obvious circumstances were far too convenient so I didn't really get the mystery sorrounding Sarah, er, Rebecca. Too confusing.

Anyway, thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Hoping for a better read next time.

P.D. Viner drops you in the middle of the action and does not ease up until the last sentence. At first I felt rushed, that I didn’t get the build to the scene I was dropped into — but truth is, I wouldn’t have it any other way. The suspense was high and adrenaline was pumping from page 1. I did feel like the ending was a bit rushed, like the beat really intensified - but I love a book that keeps me in the lurch and “The Choice” did just that.

This sounded great, but the reality was, it was just too far fetched for me.
I tried to let it wash over me and just enjoy the ride, but I couldn't.

The 1st thing I did when I finished this was go online to download everything the author had ever wrote because OMG!!! This is one of those rare books that's more than just a thriller. It's so cleverly written and complex that you absolutely will never see the next twist coming. It's so multilevel and multidimensional that it's just perfect. It absolutely gets so far under your skin that you won't be able to out it down. It's the kind of book that eventually makes it's way into becoming a netflix series. And yeah, it's highly unlikely that all these puzzle pieces and interactions could so very neatly all line up..... whatever! It's fiction, in reality most fictions wouldn't actually happen but enjoy it for the work of art that it is. It starts with a bang and keeps not Pilling the punches until the end. I didn't relate to the characters because.... well, I'd be a bit worried if I did but they are all just so very human that it's hard not to still empathise. It shows that often good people do do bad things and there are reasons but that doesn't take away from them being good people or trying to do what's best for everyone. I just loved it! Especially the fact that noone is just evil because they're evil..... its all so much more complicated than that because life is never that black and white. So yeah, just give it a bash. Probably one kf the best books I've read this year

I really liked the cover and the blurb got me interested as it is the normal type of book I would go for. I very rarely give up on a book but unfortunately I had to this time. I could not relate to the characters at all and it didn't really get going aswell as other books do. It was a slow burner and didn't pique my interest after the first few chapters. I'm sorry to leave a bad review but I did agree to leave honest reviews when I joined netgalley.

Theo is only the second man Sarah has ever loved yet she kills him, stabs him to death, it’s not her fault but who will believe her? Certainly not the police whose sirens can now be heard. She has to stay free, run, head north to Aberdeen to save herself from prison, back to fifteen years ago when the whole saga begins. Back to a time when she’s not Sarah but Rebecca, back to when a house of cards collapses on her but she’ll fight to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

I’ve never read a PD Viner before but colour me impressed. Yes, it’s OTT but it’s also a highly entertaining rollercoaster thriller that keeps my attention from beginning to end.

I really enjoy the way it’s written, taking us back in time so we can understand the rationale for events in the present. Not that there’s much rationale behind a couple of the characters Sarah/Rebecca encounters as she’s chased the length of England and Scotland. One of these is definitely psychotic and possibly even a bit stereotypical but you are on the edge of your seat wondering what lunacy he’ll unleash next. It’s not a pretty tale as it takes us back to Sarah/Rebecca’s childhood and beyond. It’s violent, there’s fear, hate, obsession and sadness. There’s suspense and tension, at times it’s creepy, weird and strange but it keeps the focus as lives intertwine and connect. I like the dark humour which breaks the taut suspense, there are some original descriptions that sum up dire situations well.

So, yes it’s a bit crazy train at times but it’s also action packed and there’s never a dull moment so I just go happily with the flow! I’ll definitely read more by the author after sampling this one!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Hera Books for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Sarah is madly in love with boyfriend Theo, and can’t wait to go on their first weekend away.
But by the end of the first night, Theo is dead. And Sarah has killed him. But she swears she had no choice.
She was forced to kill Theo because of something that happened a lifetime ago … something buried in her past.
Now, Sarah has one week to find the truth of what happened back then and prove her innocence, before she’s turned over to the police.
She’s spent years running from the truth but now the choices of her past might destroy her future.
A fast-paced, addictive thriller that fans of Gillian McAllister and Linwood Barclay won’t be able to put down.
Couldn’t put it down really enjoyed this book totally gripping and totally recommend
Thank You NetGalley and Hera Books
I just reviewed The Choice by P.D. Viner. #TheChoice #NetGalley

This is a poorly written and rather confusing book. I did not enjoy it and felt like giving up on it at numerous occasions, however, I painfully carried on. I think the concept was good but it was not delivered well.

Thank you NetGalley, Her Books and P.D. Biber for letting me read “The Choice” in exchange for an honest review.

This was an action packed little thriller! Rebecca is a woman of many secrets. Growing up in an abusive household she never had it easy. Early on she developed a skill, leaving her body behind to escape all the pain her fanatic father caused her.

Later in she marries her high school crush, Drew only to become a widow at 23. Drew turned out to be a petty criminal, in cahoots with the Vincent brothers. A bank was robbed and the money disappeared. The brothers kill Theo and go after his wife Rebecca, maybe she knows where the money is? But she has no clue. She escaped her body and the brothers think her dead. Rebecca wakes up in a hospital, still shocked by the death of her husband and the attack of the brothers. Not trusting police, she flees, leaving Rebecca behind and becoming Sarah.

15 years later she lives a quiet life, having found love again, or so she things. Theo takes her out for a getaway. Turns out, he was hired by the brothers who thinks she has their money. She again leaves her body, but the brothers now know the trick. They take control of her lifeless body and murder Theo, to blackmail Sarah. Her freedom in exchange for the money…

This was one cray cray ride! Did I find it believable? Absolutely not. Some things were way too convenient, other things were just plain crazy.

The writing was not my favourite. The outer body experiences did not always make sense. Sometimes they are told by Sarah, sometimes bystanders. It was a bit confusing at times.

The story was ok, had potential, but I did not find it super twisty or exciting. It was more an action packed thriller than a psychological one. It was ok, nothing bad but also not great.

I think the heroine was very clearly written by a male author. I found it a bit problematic because Sarah was unbelievable at times. Like this stereotypical hysteric female. She made no sense at times. And come one, she just killed someone, then the chapter ends and the new chapter starts with “I’ve finished all eight portions of tiramisu”, like what the actual f…?! I also could not keep up with her changing her name a million times.

Synopsis: This story follows Sarah, a woman on the run after being framed for a forced murder of her lover. Sarah has a choice--give in to the demands of her blackmailers or be turned into the police. Sarah knows she can prove her innocence, but at what cost?

Writing: The writing was one of the biggest turn offs in this book for me. First off, there were too many exclamations. Instead of adding to the chill of the story, it was a bit annoying. Exclamations like “UGHHHH” and “Noooooo!” don’t really instill fear or dread. I would write that in a sentence if I had dropped my coffee on the floor, not if I had just seen a loved one hurt. Instead, I would’ve appreciated more “’No!’ she screamed in terror.” I wouldn’t have added this bit into my review if there weren’t so many instances like this. I felt like it interrupted the story and made it feel cheesy more than anything.

I also felt while reading that I was getting way too much internal dialogue from the narrator. I appreciate seeing into the mind of the narrator, but there were times when I felt I was getting details that didn’t matter at all or have anything to do with the present situation. This also interrupted the story for me—it felt like every other word was a thought encapsulated in parentheses.

Another thing that I wasn’t sure if it was intentional or just a mistake—when writing in first person narrative, the narrator normally stops talking when they’ve lost consciousness. There were times in the book where this happened…and then there was one time where it didn’t. The one time it didn’t happen, the narrator explains it off as an out of body experience, but this experience didn’t seem to happen any of the other few times the narrator passed out. The inconsistency was annoying.

Plot: The story wasn’t bad; in fact, it was the redeeming quality of this book. However, a lot of the things that happened in the story just felt a little too unrealistic, even for a book of fiction. I noted a few parts of the book where this happens, but one stands out to me: the part where our narrator is picked up by a truck driver. You can read what happens in this part for yourself. The issue I had with this part was that it seemed too coincidental. Sometimes coincidences in books seem like fate or maybe an act of the paranormal…and sometimes they just seem out of place.

Summary: Overall, I didn’t hate this book. I didn't like it, but I didn't hate it. The writing was clearly just not my style, and it ruined a lot of the book for me. The plot was okay; if you’re not a writing snob like me and you like murder mysteries, you might be okay with this one.

Page turner? No

Worth it? Not really